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Date:         Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:23:55 -0700
Reply-To:     David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: exaust removal woes
Comments: To: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <d1ea9acf0707142006k24b9e99fy3f003e28360d3716@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Don't spend the mony for a subi on a $2k old clunker. I understand you love the clunker. Me too. You can not afford it. Wait until you can afford a 90 or 91 then a subi would make more sense. That day will come, believe me. It is always dark before sun rises.

My first car was a beetle. I paid a thief for a hopeless junk basically. I kept on throwing money into it. I eventually lost in a flood. Totally lost. My heart was broken. I was a fool because I bought another beetle. Although it was not that bad again but pretty close. I bought a BMW 2002. I drove no more than 500 miles total and had to toss it because I could never get smog certificate for it. Then I bought a volvr v6... then another volve v6... It never ends. Lost all of them pretty much.

Except the 84 vanagon I bought it new. I still have it today and it's like a champ climbing Sunol grade at 70 MPH. But I won't do it a subi. If I want a subi I would do it on a 90 or 91 westy. Use your money on a right one, not your first one.

Of course this is just my opinion. Where are you located?

David

--- craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> I was thinking long and hard all day today as to what it is i'm to do to dig > myself out of this hole. And i was graced by a meeting of fellow vanagon > owners....and it made me wonder "why you do it". > I thought i'd share my story of why i love vanagons, and why my bus needs a > new heart. If your bored, read on. If your not.....don't, you don't have > time. Stop right here and go be busy. Have a good day. > > I appreciate the sudgestions, help, and most importantly time. I am in a > very horrible predicament to say the least. I've been leaning towards a > subaru conversion since the day i found out what a vanagon was (ya, i > litereally bought one without EVER seeing one in real life and just knew > "they have engine problems, the subaru fits right and adds power"). As of > tuesday, its been exactly one year since i bought my vanagon. I have driven > it roughly 1000 miles in that time period, 90% of which was in the first > month. It worked very well for the first month, then died all at once. Now > i'm in the predicament of my life. I am a recent highschool graduate who > plans to attend slippery rock university of PA next year which is about an > hour from my house. I was told i can keep a car up there assuming its the > vanagon (parental incentive to make it work). I spend all my free time > (Literally ALL of it) either on the list, or tinkering with my bus.....but > nothing will fix the problems at hand. I work 10-12 hour days 6 days a week > at slightly above minimum wage just to try to save enough money to put a > conversion together, and i might be getting a "night job" at a body shop > which wont pay....but will allow me to work off the required work that my > bus desperately needs (rust is eating it!). I simply cannot afford to pay to > get this thing working, yet cannot justify putting a $4K engine conversion > into a $2K car that has been imobile for 9 months. At this point, i'm > working solely to feed my love of vanagons, i spend no money, have no free > time, and come home exausted.....but with the ambitions to start ANOTHER > job. Why do i do it? > > That question has come up more times than i'd like to count. But i sure wish > there was a nickel or dime every time....because i'd be rockin a SVX powered > Syncro Westy at this point! > I somehow fell in love with vanagons all at once. A pal had one stashed > under a tarp rotting behind their house, and offered to sell it to me. I had > a love for VW busses, had no idea there were different models, and went home > that night and searched "1988 Volkswagon Bus Water-Cooled" based on the > knowledge i had and what he had told me. Needless to say, it was horribly > unsuccessful. Over the next week i devoted every waking moment of my time to > researching these beasts untill i convinced my parents to come take a look > at it. At this point in my life i was suffering from sever depression and in > constant pain from a recent car accident.....i was not recovering well and > they saw the first smile i'd had in a long time. This alone made them > willing to buy their first foreign car, their first stick shift car, their > first "old" car, and their first rusty car all at once, to allow (and teach) > a highschool junior to drive....because it was a dream of his. I will never > cease to be amazed by that selfless act. I had little mechanical > understanding, i had no ambition to actually "do anything" with the car, > couldnt drive stick.....COULDNT EVEN DRIVE. I would go outside and sit in > it, i'd go read a book in it.....i was in constant pain and would emerge > from my silver lair with a bright smile on my face, the world knew that > somehow....this "PIECE OF SHIT" made me happy, and it was the only thing > that would! They used it to motivate me to get good grades, they used it to > motivate me to continue my recovery process, they motivated me in more ways > than i'll ever understand. I had no job and would survive year to year on > MAYBE $500 that i would find through holidays, birthday money, and > occassional yard work.......and yet i was always volunteering to sink every > cent of it into the car. They never let me. > > The point is, the line has been drawn. From this point forward, they are no > longer happy with the vehicle, they are no longer willing to support the > cause, as it hardly motivates me do to its lack of motion (though i've heard > my parents telling their friends about the smile they see on my face when > its driven by me!) I'm working my ass off and trying to make money in all > the available odd jobs, but it limits my time to work on it. I am reaching > the point where i can afford to get some work done, but an ambitious head > replacement (would do both sides probably) is not economical.....especially > knowing the fuel-injection system is less than amazing and i know there are > problems. This problem wont fix it, it still wont be "working" the way its > supposed to. I'm trying my hardest not to give up, but its getting hard. > > I figured out how to cook rice and tea REALLY well and taught myself to love > um, so thats all i eat and drink at work (I Figured out it saved me $100 a > week!!! From the first few weeks of going out to lunch and dinner, buying > drinks, etc). I dont sleep much (no time!) and when i do.....i dream about a > Volksagen bus and how beautiful and proud it will stand when freshly > repainted, running a subaru 2.2, and my interior customizing is complete. > People are telling me now that its more practical for me to try to cut my > losses, sell the bus, and buy one in better shape for say $4K or > $5K......but i would loose all this. I just cant do it. I love this bus like > i've never loved anything else in my short life. My boss/head of our service > department knows that, knows i wont be able to pay the bill....and knows hes > going to take a loss. My fellow highschool seniors took up a collection! > (Pretty unscucessful, but its the thought that counts, we had bracelets that > said "Make a difference") Its well known that i'd sell a kidney to get a > conversion, but know that my liver and kidneys may get a good workout in the > near future as a freshman in college. I have total strangers who know me as > "the bus man"......its the only one in my area. I am so unbelievably proud > of my work so far and would love to continue it. > > I just thought i'd have to share my story of "WHY I DO IT". I know there are > some on the list that will hate it, they'll say it somehow doesnt deal with > vanagons and we should stick to "what tires are the best" (My hankook RA08s > have held up well for all 10 miles ive been able to put on them!), but i > dont care. I know some of you have similar loves for these cars, some of you > dont. To some of you, its a car that you can take to the home depot on > saturdays. To me, its hope, its a smile. Deal with it. > Theres no point to this, i just hope my struggle can give hope to someone > else. Stick with it. Thank you all for your help so far, even those of you > who have no idea who i am or why i'm writing this. I may not be a famous > name like "Bob Donalds" "Benny Boy" or "The Bus Depot", but i'm trying my > best and know that someday....i'll have a bus that will make Benny Boy say > "See, there are TWO good looking '85's in the world!!" > > I hope your day goes very very well, all of you. Thats the best i can do. > I'd give you all a hug, a shake of hand, you all deserve it. But thats > simply the best i can do. When i'm a rich man, you'll all get a > worthers-original mailed to your door for the rediculous cost of postage, > but for now....just have a nice day! > > -Craig Cowan > 1985 Vanagon GL converted to custom Camper > > > > > On 7/14/07, Bob Donalds <donalds1@verizon.net> wrote: > > > > I use a shop in Santa ana Ca to do my EDM work mostly on head studs for > > WBX > > engines > > Jerry's broken drill and tap they can handle it BUT maybe its time to take > > step back and look at the bigger picture > > and consider a good used head or a new pair of heads or A fresh longblock > > I have any and all of those options available here at the engine exchange > > how can I help you > > > > Bob Donalds > > Boston engine > > 508 358 6264 > > in the shop today and tomorrow afternoon working on my own vans > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Evan Mac Donald" <macdonald1987@SBCGLOBAL.NET> > > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > > Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 9:04 AM > > Subject: Re: exaust removal woes > > > > > > > The process is usually called "EDM" and should be easier to find if > > > searched for that way. Basically, a high-energy arc discharge is used to > > > vaporize the metal at the point of the electrode. Kind of like arc > > welding > > > in reverse. Many prototype parts shops use this process to cut metal > > > plate, and also to bore small diameter, deep holes. Since there is no > > > actual "bit" removing the metal, it cannot break off and get stuck. > > > Changing the voltage / amperage parameters allows for better removal of > > > different materials. It may be cheaper, though, to get a new head... > > > > > > pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET> wrote: Even "good" bits will have a heck > > > of a time drilling through a tungsten > > > carbide drill bit. > > > > > > The one method I have heard about to do this is spark erosion. > > > Apparently some kind of device is hooked up which sends a concentrated > > > spark > > > through the broken off bit and erodes it away. > > > Sounds pretty slick, but that's all I know about it. > > > I have never seen it done or know about equipment availability. > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf > > Of > > > dylan friedman > > > Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 10:36 PM > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > > Subject: Re: exaust removal woes > > > > > > to do it the right way and have it work when you are finished, the head > > > should come off and use a drill press and good bits to make a hole for > > an > > > extractor. I have had similar issues in the past. I don't mess with it > > in > > > the van. I pull them and do it so it will last and not make matters > > worse. > > > > > > dylan > > > > > > craig cowan > > > wrote: So today my day at work started > > > as any would (except discovering the trash > > > truck put a sizeable dent in the nose of the vanagon......which will be > > > repaired free of charge), and the mecahnics at my work started working > > on > > > my > > > vanagon. I popped in from time to time to check the progress. The goal > > was > > > to replace the manifold gasket at cylinder 1, so the manifold had to > > come > > > off as the studs were damaged. Of the 4 bolts that connected to the > > heads > > > and 2 that connected to the collection pipe (1.9L) The collection pipe > > > bolts > > > came right off, and 3 of the head nuts. One was not so lucky. It snapped > > > and > > > the mechanic welded a nut to the stud and started backing it out.....it > > > was > === message truncated ===

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